See below for more details on each layout. You will receive a layout map at the convention.
Saturday Layout Tours. 12:30pm to 4:30pm
Gary Courtemanche’s Blood, Sweat & Tears
John Johnston’s Grand Trunk Southern
Barry Kelly. Plywood Central
Rick Davis runs The What If
The HO Model Engineers Society(HOMES club)
Sunday Layout Tours. 12:30pm to 4:30pm
Bob Mitchell’s HO scale CP & Algoma Central
Paul Bellemore’s HO Green Bay & Western lines
Ron Tuff, MMR, models the British Columbia Railway
RICHARD SPARROW, MMR‘s 12’ x 30’ HO TH&B
Greater Niagara Model Railroad Engineers – better known as the Fenwick club
Dave Paterson, MMR, models the Pennsylvania RR Allegheny Highlands Division
Jim & Barbara Tucker 35′ x 18′ HO layout its own building
Mike Scott’s new HO scale layout is a 42’ x 25’ railfan’s delight
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Sat. Layout Tours. 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm
Gary Courtemanche’s Blood, Sweat & Tears (Ancaster) is a tiny perfect gem. Outstanding modelling, highly detailed in the George Stelios style, the HO-scale BS&T is built into Gary’s home like fine cabinetry. Not to be missed! Canadian Railway Modeller and Railroad Model Craftsman magazines have featured this layout.
John Johnston’s Grand Trunk Southern (Hamilton) demonstrates how N scale allows the scenery to dominate the trains. Set in Central Pennsylvania in 1969, this two-level, 11’ x 22’ railway answers the question “What if the Pennsy had become part of CN instead of merging into Penn Central?” John Johnston’ N-Scale layout hosts regular operating sessions, and you can operate during the convention on Friday afternoon. (Pre-registration required for Friday Ops session.)
Barry Kelly calls his HO railroad (Hamilton)the Plywood Central. It’s a brightly lit, 20’ x 30’ upstairs room with lots of long trains running (at least 7 independently at once, on several levels), lots of structures, including a new steel mill, and – yes – a certain amount of plywood
Rick Davis runs The What If (Hamilton) HO railway with lots of locos, street cars, structures, and a display of rail memorabilia
The HO Model Engineers’ Society – HOMES club – is one of the largest operating HO layouts in the area, occupying a 62½’ by 33½’ space. HOMES is modelling Hamilton in the mid-1950s, including a 28′ long steel mill. The modelled scene also runs through Stoney Creek and Smithville to Welland. Operating focus is on the TH&B railway, with New York Central and Canadian Pacific pool trains, and Canadian National interchanges in Hamilton and Welland. Track plan, structures, scenery and operations are based on study of prototype plans, timetables, and photographs from the era.
Sunday Layout Tours. 12:30pm to 4:30pm
Bob Mitchell’s HO scale CP & Algoma Central (Grimsby)is an around-the-walls, 16’ x 35’ layout with a large central peninsula. Bob models Northern Ontario between Franz-White River & Terrace Bay in the 1950s – but you don’t need to read that: a single look in the doorway, and you’ll recognise the great Northern Ontario scenery!
Paul Bellemore’s HO Green Bay & Western lines (Binbrook) is a new build of a double deck, 56’ x 25’ layout. It’s a huge home layout, built to very high standards for benchwork, track, and wiring. No scenery yet. Prototype modelling from Green Bay to Plover, with extensive staging for diverse traffic patterns with long trains based on the GB&W, FRV, WC and E&LS prototypes
Ron Tuff, MMR, models the British Columbia Railway (Stoney Creek)in the mid-1980s, Rutherford Creek (mile 89) to Exeter (mile 265), on a 13’ x 43’ cantilevered double-deck HO layout, with two helices
RICHARD SPARROW, MMR‘s 12’ x 30’ HO TH&B (Pelham) features several accurate, scratch-built models of TH&B structures. Modelled locations include Smithville and Welland on the Welland Sub; Jerseyville and Waterford on the Waterford Sub. Hamilton, and all other off-layout locations are in a “live” staging area where rolling stock is stored, and trains are made up and broken down.
Greater Niagara Model Railroad Engineers – better known as the Fenwick club – is a freelance 35’ x 22’ multi-level HO layout. Since 1972 their home has been an 1875 former Quaker meeting house, which the club maintains on behalf of the Niagara Region. New upgrades to parts of the layout have started, with additional track, facia improvements, installation of signals, and block detection. The club has also converted to DCC.
Dave Paterson, MMR, models the Pennsylvania RR Allegheny Highlands Division (Hamilton) is a double-deck HO depiction of the Pennsy’s North Central Region, North of Sunbury in the 1950s, with steam, diesel and even a GG-1 electric under scratch-built catenary. As you’d expect from an MMR, there are many scratch-built structures and contest models
Jim & Barbara Tucker (Wainfleet) built their 35′ x 18′ HO layout its own building, replicating an 1890s freight shed from the Lehigh Valley Railroad. 200’ mainline and 40’ branch, operational signalling system, hidden staging with reversing loop, switchback to coal mining from hidden coal yard, several trestle bridges (one almost four feet), freight and engine yards, natural scenery blocks and day/night lighting with timed lighting periods in the scenery.
Mike Scott’s new HO scale layout is a 42’ x 25’ railfan’s delight: Long trains on long runs through lovely scenery. Two full sets of Rapido’s “The Canadian” operate on the layout along with a total of 20 locomotives and 200 pieces of rolling stock. It takes about 10 minutes for a train to complete a circuit of the 245’ mainline.!
